Health Alert: Radiation raises risk of heart disease

(CBS) - A new study finds radiation used to treat breast cancer can increase a woman's risk of some heart disease. Researchers analyzed the medical records of more than two-thousand patients in Sweden and Denmark from 1958 to 2001. They found women's risk of a coronary event increased within the first five years following treatment. Radiation has changed over the years , exposing the heart to lower doses. Studies have shown the treatment reduces the risk of cancer recurrence and death.

(CBS) - Researchers in Boston found Vitamin D supplements can lower blood pressure in African Americans. The study looked at 250 black adults who took the vitamin daily for three months. The results showed the more Vitamin D a person took – the lower their blood pressure. African Americans have the highest rate of hypertension in the US.

(CBS) - Playing video games may actually be good for your health. Researchers in Singapore found gaming can enhance your cognitive skills. They say people in their study who played games for an hour a day for a month on their cell phones increased their mental ability – for example, action games helped people track multiple objects.

(CNN) - The FDA is warning patients about the use of a popular antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections. The drug Azithromycin is commonly sold under the name Zithromax in what's called a Z-Pak. The agency says it can cause abnormal and possibly fatal heart rhythms in some patients. FDA officials say the warning was issued after they reviewed two studies on the drug. A Vanderbilt University study found an increased risk of death from heart disease in the first five days of using a Z-Pak when compared to other common antibiotics or no antibiotics. The FDA said patients who have low blood levels of potassium or magnesium are at a higher risk. Patients who have a slower than normal heart rate or who are taking drugs to treat irregular heartbeats should also be cautious. Pfizer, which produces the drug, said the majority of patients using the antibiotic are not affected.